Hankering for a Phone: Cherry Mobile W100

A lot has happened in the mobile phone industry since my last post. The success of Android OS phones for one has given people with less dough options to the iconic, and still ever expensive Apple iPhone. The way technology is moving, even those on a strict budget can purchase multi-touch screen capable, 1Ghz processor powered phones on the cheap. One of the latest to be announced in the Philippines is the W100 by Cherry Mobile. 

Cherry Mobile W100 Specifications: 
Dual Sim / Dual Standby
3.5-inch HVGA (320x480) IPS Display
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Qualcomm MSM7X27A Snapdragon S1 1GHz Single-Core Processor
Adreno 200 GPU
512MB of RAM
512MB of internal storage
Micro SD up to 32GB
3.2MP Camera with LED flash (Main) VGA Camera (Front)
Quad band GSM 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900
3G/ UMTS 2100
Motion Sensor / 5-Point Touchscreen
Bluetooth / WiFi Hotspot / GPS
MP3 / Multimedia Player / FM Radio
3.5mm Headset Jack / 2.0 Micro USB
Li-ion 1,400mAh Battery
Talk time: Up to 6 hours
Standby time: Up to 200 hours
117 x 62 x 12.9mm (dimension)

While I can't exactly post a user review, I've been able to handle the phone several times at the Cherry Mobile Kiosk in SM Megamall Cyberzone. Some comments:

• It feels plasticky. The housing itself seems to be made of a brittle plastic, which I guess is what you get for the price. The white version looks a little less plasticky though, but I guess this is really somewhat subjective. 
• The HVGA 3.5 inch screen, which on paper seems like a great deal, seems a bit poorly made. The icons are noticeably pixelated. My current phone, a Galaxy 5, which is only QVGA, handles photos and android graphics better. 
• When charging, the phone is effectively unusable. Touch screen is all over the place. Cherry Mobile sales people say that this is something inherent in all their Android devices, but honestly I've never heard of such a problem affecting any other brand of phone running droid. 

If you're interested in reading user reviews and other comments, follow the W100 user thread on Tipidcp.com here.

If you're not too picky about the build quality, and you're ok with the graphics that the W100 has, it promises to be a good buy for Php 3,499. Dual Sim, dual camera, with 3G capabilities, running Gingerbread. Not bad at all.

Hankering for a Phone: Motorola F3, W220 or W375

Ok. Not exactly the newest phones on the block, I know. Well, while these phones might not exactly be hightech, I think any of these three would afford its potential owner a bit of style with a lot of base-functionality. If you're torn between simplifying your cellular-phone experience and staying in the technologically functional world, you might consider owning one of these. I am at any rate.

Why am I blogging about them at all? Well, I'm looking for a new phone to replace my sickly 2 year old C651 that's breaking apart. I'm not really looking for the most hightech of phones (for personal security while on the road, among other reasons) and since I'm sort of on a budget, I've been looking at Motorola's lower end handhelds for options. With a budget of around 5000 pesos, I can choose from the Motorola F3 Motofone, the Motorola W375 and the W220.

Of the 3, the F3 is the cheapest. Not surprisingly so. It is the simplest of all three phones, only allowing the most basic of tasks such as SMS and calling, without storage or even color to speak of. On the plus side, it is easily the slimmest of the lot (one of the slimmest phones available on the market today), and because it does away with all the power-zapping extraneous functionality and uses a more reader and power friendly display, it boasts of an impressively long battery life. However, it is a bit too spartan for me.

I cannot look at the W220 without comparing it to the W375. Upon inspection of available information on the web as well as from available pamphlets, both seem to have more in common than just the clamshell form factor. Both carry FM radios, and, as models under the W series, were designed to come cheap. However, it seems that the W220, compared to its newer, VGA camera toting brother, the W375, carries more bang for the buck.
While the W375 might possess a camera and thus allow for picture phonebook entries, said entries are limited to just 100 contacts. The W220 on the other hand allows the user to store up to 600 phonebook entries on the phone itself. While no information is known as far as inbox capacity for the W375, available literature says that he W220 can accomodate 250 SMS, which is 215 more than what either of my current phones (a C651, and an E398) are capable of keeping.

I guess those two differences mentioned above are the swing vote for me. While having a camera phone might be fun initially, knowing that, within the budget I'm shooting for, I won't be getting anything better than VGA quality anyway grounds my phone desires closer to reality. And while the thinness of the F3 might be fashion forward, its simplicity is a bit too much, or rather too little for me.

That settles it. I'm getting a Moto W220.

This entry was more of an exercise in rationalization and shopper-guilt justification for maybe buying the phone for myself. Heaven knows if I had the money, or if someone who had money were generous enough to give me a phone condition free, I'd be asking for maybe an Apple iPhone. Haha. But for now, until either of my old phones or this new one conks out, I'm going to be a loyal Motorola-head for awhile.